“He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” — Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart

  ???

  Rem couldn’t help celebrating with the rest of his classmates as they turned in their last papers for the midterm examinations, and filed out of the classroom. Most of them were muttering and flipping through their textbooks, double-checking their answers.

  “Damn! I answered question thirteen wrong!”

  “What’s the name of the sister of the first king of Alathia?”

  “Shirley, what did you put for question sixteen?”

  Rem walked down the hallway of the Academy with Nathan and Leighton, following the tide of students, as the constant presence of his Crownsguard trailed not far behind. “Finally! Midterms are over,” Leighton sighed. “Now we can relax for a bit until the results come out next week.”

  “Is it just me, or were the midterms tougher than the mock tests?” Rem murmured, his brows furrowed.

  “They’re meant to be. The midterms are supposed to prepare us for finals. If we can at least get a passing grade on the midterms, then we’ll be fine for the finals,” Leighton said.

  As they made their way toward the entrance hall, the trio passed a group of whispering students whom Rem recognised from Yulia’s class, though none that he remembered the names of. As they passed, he caught snippets of their conversation.

  “Kaela’s been gone all week.”

  “Yeah, Felix, too.”

  “I heard they got special permission to return home before exams. They’ll be taking makeup exams once they’re back.”

  “What could have happened…?”

  Rem’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t linger on what was clearly a private conversation. He adjusted the strap of his satchel as they walked.

  Come to think of it, he hadn’t seen either Kaela Merrin or Felix Carrington all week. He had noticed Yulia with Gale, Elias, and Rowan in their usual spots at the cafeteria during mealtimes, but the usual presences of Kaela and Felix had been conspicuously absent. Though Rem was so caught up in exam preparations and studying that he hadn’t thought much about it.

  Beside Rem, Nathan’s grip tightened over the strap of his satchel. “You’ve been awfully quiet recently,” Rem noted, looking at his best friend. “Is everything okay?”

  Nathan shook his head, unable to meet Rem’s gaze, staring at the floor like it was suddenly the most fascinating thing in the world. “It’s nothing.”

  “Weren’t you called home just before exams?” Rem frowned, recalling how Leighton had helped Nathan to prepare after returning just two days before midterms. “Did Lord Hunt summon you home?”

  Come to think of it, Yulia, Gale, and Elias had also been absent during that time.

  Nathan hesitated, his shoulders stiffening. “Something like that, yeah,” he said at last. “It’s…House Hunt business.”

  Leighton raised an eyebrow, but didn’t press further, even shooting Rem a warning look not to push. There seems to be something that Leighton is seeing in Nathan’s guarded expression that Rem didn’t.

  “Well, I hope our study sessions just before exams helped, then,” Leighton said instead, giving Nathan a firm pat on the back of his shoulders, nearly causing him to stumble. “Goddess knows you need to at least pass.”

  Nathan shot Leighton a dirty look, even as Rem laughed. Nathan does just fine on their practical examinations. It’s the theory that he often struggles with, especially when it comes to military tactics and strategy.

  “Lord Hunt is going to lock you in your room and hire tutors if you don’t at least get a passing grade,” Rem teased. “We’re having a week of vacation after we get the results. If you’re a staunch believer, I will suggest a prayer or two at the chapel.”

  Nathan rolled his eyes at the teasing. But before either one of the three can say anything more, a commotion erupted at the doors of the entrance hall. Students were being shoved and jostled aside as someone shoved through the crowd.

  “Kaela, wait!”

  A group of first years standing at the doors were nearly bowled over as a girl stormed through. Her usually neat auburn hair was dishevelled, and her green eyes were red from unshed tears. She wasn’t in the Academy uniform, but wore black mourning clothes.

  It, however, didn’t matter. Rem recognised Kaela Merrin immediately.

  Behind Kaela was Felix Carrington. He was dressed similarly, but was far more composed.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Kaela’s eyes whipped around the crowd of students before spotting Rem. And then, anger overtook her features. Even her hair seemed to bristle with her rage as she shoved past startled students, heading straight for him.

  “What the…?”

  “Hey, stop pushing!”

  “You bastard!” Kaela screamed, rage and grief twisting her features as she reached for the dagger holstered on her thigh. Not far away from Rem, his Crownsguard tensed, reaching for his sword. “It’s all your fault! You stood there while we died! While everyone died! You’re not a king! You’re a coward!”

  But she never reached Rem. And neither was the Crownsguard given the chance to even so much as draw his sword.

  A hand caught Kaela’s wrist mid-draw and twisted, disarming her cleanly, and forcing her to drop her dagger. The dagger clattered to the floor.

  Kaela gasped, her eyes wide with shock, turning to face her attacker—no, her saviour. Yuliana Nightray stood between her and the shocked Rem, her eyes cold, but there was a hint of warning within her silver eyes as she used herself as a human shield for Rem.

  “Kaela!” Felix finally caught up, one hand dropping on Kaela’s shoulder. “Don’t! It’s not worth it!”

  Neither girl acknowledged him, or even the mutterings and curious gazes from the onlookers.

  “If you lay a hand on the prince, I’m obligated to arrest you,” Yulia told Kaela calmly but firmly. The eyes of the Nightray heiress flickered towards the Crownsguard. There was something in her gaze that caused the Crownsguard to pause, and he nodded, letting his hand fall from the pommel of his sword.

  Rem could only stare in shock, his mind unable to comprehend for several moments what was going on, even as Nathan pushed Rem behind him, standing in front of the prince protectively.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Is that Kaela? And Heir Carrington?”

  “Did she just try to attack the Crown Prince?”

  “I heard her brother died last week in a border skirmish. That’s why she and Heir Carrington got called home.”

  “What has that got to do with the prince?”

  “…Gee, why don’t you tell me, idiot?”

  Kaela ignored all the whisperings, her slight frame trembling, as she faced Yulia. Out of the corner of his eye, Rem spotted Gale, Elias, and Rowan amongst the crowd, but they didn’t step in. They only exchanged grim and understanding looks.

  “Don’t stop me,” Kaela whispered, but her voice carried clearly across the entrance hall. Her voice was thick with grief and rage. “You know what’s happening out there, Yulia! You know the truth! People are dying! And my brother… My brother is dead because of him!” Her eyes blazed with hatred as they snapped towards Rem again, and he flinched. “You, more than anyone else, know the truth! Everyone did! And he…” Her shoulders shook with rage and grief. “He did nothing!”

  “I do know,” Yulia said. Her voice was low and calm, carrying across the entrance hall. “That’s why… As your friend, I can’t let you do this. I can’t let you throw your life away like this.”

  Kaela’s lips trembled with emotion, her shoulders shaking, but no tears fell.

  “Kaela, she’s right,” Felix said. “It’s not worth it. Don’t throw your life and future away. Your father had already lost one child. Don’t let him lose you, too.”

  Kaela let out a choked sob. “My brother’s dead… They let my brother die. And everyone else…”

  “I know. I’m sorry for your loss,” Yulia murmured. “But this isn’t justice. This is your grief talking. Your rage. I’ve been through the same thing before, and I know what it felt like.” Kaela blinked, suddenly recalling how her friend had lost her father in the war. If there is anyone who can understand how she felt, it would be Yulia. “And I won’t let this destroy you. Lord Kael wouldn’t want this for you. Your brother wouldn’t want this. Neither would your father.”

  For several moments, Kaela only stared at Yulia. Then the fury melted from her eyes, and her shoulders sagged. The fury in her eyes was replaced by grief and anguish. She swayed slightly, only to be caught by Felix.

  “Come on, let’s go somewhere quiet,” Felix murmured into Kaela’s ear, even as Gale, Elias, and Rowan stepped forward.

  Elias took Kaela gently by the arm, glancing at Yulia. “We’ll talk to her. Calm her down,” he said quietly. “We’ll let you handle this with…him.” He nodded toward the shell-shocked Rem, and Yulia nodded grimly.

  As Kaela was led away, her gaze locked on Rem once more. Her green eyes were once more filled with rage and hatred, but she made no move to attack him again. Instead, her voice cracked under the weight of despair.

  “I will never forgive you for this,” Her voice choked with grief. “It’s all your fault. It’s your fault that everyone is dying!”

  “I-It’s not…” Rem stammered, his eyes wide with shock and confusion.

  Kaela, however, never took her eyes off Rem. “You’re no king. I will not accept you. I will not follow you.”

  Her words echoed in the vastness of the entrance hall, even as she disappeared with the others. Elias mouthed to Yulia, We’ll be at the gardens.

  Rem stood frozen, even after Kaela was led away by Elias, Gale, and Felix. His expression was a mixture of shock and confusion, and Yulia’s jaw clenched.

  Even now, Rem still didn’t understand anything. He has no idea what was really happening in Alathia.

  “What’s up with her?”

  The whispers started not long after Kaela and the others disappeared from sight. Yulia’s gaze landed on the speaker, only to realise that it was a group of first years. And from the looks of it, they were from minor noble families that resided within the Imperial City.

  “Looks like someone forgot to take their pills,” One particularly obnoxious first year snorted with derision.

  “Yeah. What has her brother dying got to do with—”

  “Shut your fucking mouth, firstie, before I shut it for you permanently.” Surprisingly, it was Nathan who spoke, his eyes blazing with fury, and one hand rested on the pommel of his sword. He looked to be one step away from ‘sharpening’ his sword on the first year who had spoken.

  The first year was startled and taken aback by Nathan’s fury, but soon found strength in the presence of his friends. “You know that I’m right—”

  “If you don’t know what you’re talking about, I’d suggest you keep your mouth shut before you make an even bigger fool of yourself,” Yulia snapped, and the first year snapped his mouth shut.

  He looked ready to open his mouth and argue, but his friends tugged him by the arm, dragging him away, all of them looking at Yulia warily. Even among the first years, Yulia’s reputation was well-known.

  “All right, show’s over! Clear off!” One of the third years stepped forward to take control of the situation. “Don’t you lot have better places to be?”

  Yulia stepped forward, bending down and picking up Kaela’s fallen dagger. She then turned her attention towards Rem, her jaw tightening, seeing the still shocked and confused look on his face. She had to constantly repeat in her head that throttling the Crown Prince in public and with hundreds of witnesses is not a good idea.

  “I… I don’t understand…” Rem’s eyes met with Yulia’s, begging for some clarification. “What’s going on?”

  Yulia’s jaw clenched. Her eyes met with Nathan’s, and he looked away, shame on his face, and guilt wrecking his frame. She then turned her attention back to Rem.

  “With all due respect, Your Highness,” she said, her voice like steel. In fact, Yulia looked like she wanted to finish Kaela’s job for her, “when skirmishes happen, when bandits attack, when raiders attack, and when people die because of it, and because of your inaction, it’s not Parliament or even the soldiers they hold accountable. And neither is it the nobles they blame. It is you they blame. It is the Crown they place the blame on.”

  Yulia’s eyes were hard, but also exhausted. Just like all the past countless times, she is sure that Rem wouldn’t listen to her this time either.

  “Like I’ve told you over and over again, a king serves his people. He is not there to be liked. He serves his people, even if it costs him everything. Often, they make choices that they know they would be hated for, but they still do it because it protects their people.” Yulia exhaled, shaking her head, stepping back. “I don’t even know why I’m talking. You never listen to me, anyway.”

  Before she turned on her heel to leave, her eyes met with Nathan and Leighton’s. There was a look of resignation and understanding in both their eyes. “Tell him everything,” Yulia said softly. “Everything. Leave nothing out. Lay the truth out for him. He’ll listen to you more than he does me.”

  Rem flinched. Leighton, however, frowned. “You sure?” he asked warily. “Shouldn’t it be you or his advisor—”

  “We did. Countless times. He didn’t listen.” Yulia said, tired. “Tell him everything. Lay the truth out for him. Everything. He needs to understand. He needs to learn.” Her eyes met with Rem’s once more, cold and unforgiving. “And if you still don’t understand after that, then I’m done.”

  She then turned on her heel and walked through the doors of the entrance hall, probably to find her friends, with Rowan following her silently, giving one last look back over his shoulder at Rem.

  Rem looked at Nathan and Leighton, confusion visible in his eyes. “I… I don’t understand. What is going on? What don’t I know? Why is Merrin…so angry?”

  Leighton was still for several moments, but Nathan’s jaw was clenched tightly, clenching his hands into fists. Not far away, the Crownsguard was staring at the nearby wall like it was the most fascinating thing he’s seen. But the way his hands were clenched tightly by his sides said everything that he isn’t.

  “…My dorm,” Leighton said at last, breaking the silence. “It’s time you learn the truth of what is going on in your kingdom, Your Highness. And this time, you are going to listen.”